Disappearance of Margaret Ellen Fox

Margaret Ellen Fox (born February 4, 1960) was a 14-year-old American girl who vanished under suspicious circumstances in Burlington, New Jersey in 1974.

Margaret Ellen Fox
Fox, 1974 school photograph
Born(1960-02-04)4 February 1960
Disappeared24 June 1974 (aged 14)
Burlington, New Jersey
StatusMissing for 46 years, 1 month and 21 days
Height5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)

Disappearance

On June 24, 1974, Fox had plans to meet with a man who called himself "John Marshall" in regards to a babysitting job. She had advertised her services and on June 19 Marshall responded to the advertisement and stated he needed a babysitter the following weekend but he postponed the first several meetings with her. He finally said that he would meet her in a red Volkswagen. Fox took a bus to get to Mount Holly, New Jersey. Her younger sister accompanied her to the bus stop and saw her get onto the bus. Witnesses reported seeing the girl near Mill and High streets after she got off the bus in Mount Holly. She was never seen again.[1]

Investigation

After Fox failed to return home, her family notified authorities of her disappearance. They immediately began an investigation into her disappearance. "John Marshall" gave Fox a phone number to contact him at prior to her disappearance. The number was later traced to a supermarket in Lumberton, New Jersey. Marshall has never been identified. Authorities immediately knew that the circumstances surrounding Fox's disappearance were suspicious in nature. They believed that the girl became the victim of an abduction. Several other parents complained of men trying to lure their daughters with fake job offers. In 1976, a suspect in her case confessed to involvement in her disappearance but it turned out to be false.[2]

Ransom call

In the hours after Fox was reported missing, authorities started to record all phone calls that went to and from the Fox residence. One of these phone calls was from a man who demanded $10,000 for her safe return. The man stated, "10,000 might be a lot of bread, but your daughter's life is the buttered topping."[3] The caller has never been identified. Efforts have been made in recent years to identify this man whom police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation believe to be Fox's abductor.

2019 updates
External image
2016 age progression of Fox to 56

The Burlington City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have reevaluated their efforts to find Fox and her abductor. The audio recording of the ransom call has been uploaded to the FBI website in an effort to see if someone might recognize the voice of the man who claimed he had Fox and wanted $10,000 for her safe return. In 2017, a retired police officer entered into a partnership with the Burlington PD to review and hopefully solve the case.[4] A $25,000 award is being offered for information leading to the arrests of Fox's abductor(s). There have been no arrests made since.[5]

Unidentified persons exclusions

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the following decedents were ruled out as being the remains of Fox.[n 1]

NameLocationDateAgeCause of deathCircumstances
Louise Fleischer Chesapeake, Ohio April 22, 1981 64-66 Strangulation A woman whose body was discovered in a well, having been killed between 1979 and 1981. Before her identification in 2019, she was thought to be as young as 30 years old when she died.[6]
Cynthia Gastelle Haymarket, Virginia February 11, 1982 18 Stabbing A young woman discovered two years after her disappearance in 1980. Her remains were identified in 2012.[7][8]
Will County Jane Doe New Lenox, Illinois April 19, 1981 25-40 Undetermined A currently unidentified female located along Interstate 80, who is thought to have been thrown from a moving vehicle about a year before her discovery. [9]
Mary Silvani Lake Tahoe, Nevada July 17, 1982 33 Gunshot A Michigan native, estranged from family members, killed by a now-deceased serial offender. Silvani remained unidentified until 2019.[10]
Alleghany County Jane Doe Alleghany County, Virginia November 18, 1985 35-75 Undetermined A currently unidentified female whose partial remains were located by hunters.[11]
Knox County Jane Doe Knoxville, Tennessee June 1, 1987 20-30 Gunshot (self-defense) A currently unidentified woman killed in an attempted robbery. [12]
Patrice Corely Hebron, Ohio April 19, 1990 29 Beating A Kentucky native who remained unidentified until 2017. [13]
Marta Haydee Rodriguez Stafford, Virginia February 3, 1991 28 Murder A woman who initially disappeared in 1989. After her 2018 identification, her ex-boyfriend was charged with her murder.[14]
Fairfax County Jane Doe Centreville, Virginia December 6, 1993 26-31 Stabbing A female discovered in a shallow grave, who is believed to have died in the late 1980s to early 1990s.[15]
Newport News Jane Doe Newport News, Virginia June 6, 2014 25-45 Undetermined A currently unidentified female whose mummified body was discovered underneath a sheet.[16]

Notes
  1. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System's listing of excluded individuals is only viewable after creating an account with the website.
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References
  1. "Margaret Ellen Fox – The Charley Project".
  2. "The Doe Network: Case File 1280DFNJ".
  3. "Reward and New Information Offered on the Anniversary of a Burlington County Cold Case — FBI". www.fbi.gov.
  4. Chang, David; Long, Cydney. "Retired NJ Officer Works to Solve Cold Case of Missing Teen". NBC 10 Philadelphia.
  5. "MARGARET ELLEN FOX". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  6. Zhang, Sarah (2019-07-29). "She Was Found Strangled in a Well, and Now She Has a Name". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  7. Jouvenal, Justin (13 June 2012). "Remains of Cynthia Gastelle of Takoma Park identified 32 years after her disappearance". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  8. "Case File: 468UFVA". The Doe Network. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  9. "NamUs UP # 3153". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  10. "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe: DNA identifies victim, suspect in 1982 killing". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  11. "NamUs UP # 6796". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. March 23, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  12. Dobbs, Amy (June 4, 2013). "Knox County Sheriff's office needs your help solving a cold case". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  13. Bruner, Bethany (May 19, 2020). "1990 Jane Doe homicide victim identified as Louisville woman". Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum. USA Today. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  14. Alex, Keith L. "Remains found in 1991 identified as those of missing Arlington woman". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  15. "Case File 120UFVA". The Doe Network. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  16. "NamUs UP # 12683". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. May 19, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
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